Star Wars Episode IV: The Inside Story
by hugh359
Summary: The compelling truth of the destruction of the Death Star is revealed. Complete with all conspiracies and double-dealings.... Disclaimer: All characters belong to George Lucas, as well as the script to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Please don't sue.
1. Prologue

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

_Star Wars_

_Episode IV ½_

_A New Hope- The Inside Story_

**Prologue:**

**It is a period of civil war.**

**Rebel spaceships, striking**

**from a hidden base, have won**

**their first victory against**

**the evil Galactic Empire.  
**

**During the battle, Rebel **

**spies managed to steal secret**

**plans to the Empire's **

**ultimate weapon, the DEATH **

**STAR, an armored space **

**station with enough power to **

**destroy an entire planet.  
**

**Pursued by the empire's **

**sinister agents, Princess**

**Leia races home aboard her**

**starship, custodian of the**

**stolen plans that can save**

**her people and restore**

**freedom to the galaxy...**

* * *

Please review. :)


	2. Imperial Boarding Party

**Chapter 1: Imperial Boarding Party**

Above Tatooine, a planet that is farthest from, a space battle was taking place. The _Tantive IV_, a Rebel blockade runner, was being pursued by an Imperial star destroyer, which was a huge, triangular shaped warship that carried heavy armament. It was firing its blaster cannons at the Rebel ship, as it shot back. The Imperial star destroyer was almost ten times larger than the_ Tantive IV_, and it had greater firepower than than the Rebel ship.

Inside the Imperial stardestroyer, a dark, cloaked figure was speaking to another holographic figure. The dark figure was completely covered in black. His helmet was the shape of a dark lord's helmet, and his face was covered by some sort of breathing mask. His breathing was a steady pace, and the sound was as if a machine were breathing for him.

"We are preparing to board the Rebel ship," the dark figure said. His voice was deep and sounded mechanical. "The fake plans will be delivered soon, my master."

"Very good, Lord Vader," the holographic figure said. "You have done well. Remember to make it seem as believable as possible that you want those plans. The Rebels will never suspect it."

"Yes, master," Lord Vader said. He turned off the hologram. Outside, the _Tantive IV _was still being pursued by the stardestroyer. The star destroyer eventually hit the main reactor of the ship and shut it down.

Inside the _Tantive IV_, an alarm was sounding, signaling the Rebel troopers for battle stations. The inside of the ship was mostly white. Three droids were walking, or rolling in the ship. One of them looked like a trash can with legs on its sides. Its name was R2-D2. Beside him was a tall, human-like droid. His coverings were gold plated and seemed worn out. This droid's name was C-3PO. Behind C-3PO was another human-like droid just like him, but was silver. The name of this droid is classified.

The Rebel troopers ran to a door and were preparing for battle.

"Did you hear that?" C-3PO asked R2-D2.

R2-D2 beeped back at him.

"They shut down the main reactor," 3PO told R2, worriedly. "We'll be destroyed for sure. This is madness!"

R2 beeped back at him. The droid behind 3PO walked into a door on his right. The Rebel troopers were in position and pointing their blasters at the door.

"We're doomed!" 3PO moaned.

R2 beeped back at him.

"There'll be no escape for the princess this time," 3PO said.

R2 beeped again. Above them there was a clanking sound coming from outside. "Whats that?" 3PO asked, worried.

Outside, the Rebel ship was going into a hangar bay at the bottom of the star destroyer.

Back inside the _Tantive IV_, the troopers were ready to fire. They waited for whatever was outside the door. Suddenly, someone started using a fusion cutter to open the door, and an explosion occurred. Men dressed in white plastoid covering started shooting at the Rebel troopers, and the Rebels shot back at the storm trooper boarding party without hesitating. But as the stormtroopers killed more and more rebels, the rebels began to retreat, but shot back as they ran away. The stormtroopers captured the remaining rebels. At the main door, Darth Vader entered. He stood and looked down at the dead Rebels. He walked forward as several stormtroopers followed him.


	3. R2D2's Mission

**Chapter 2: R2-D2's Mission**

In one of the hallways of the ship, R2-D2 was receiving a disc from a beautiful princess. She was dressed in a white gown. Her hair was dark and in a bun.

"R2-D2, where are you?" C-3PO asked. He looked around and saw Princess Leia giving R2 something he couldn't immediately identify. Princess Leia looked at 3PO and left. R2 rolled towards 3PO as if nothing happened.

"At last! Where have you been?" 3PO asked, demandingly. "They're heading in this direction. What are we going to do? We'll be sent to the spice mines of Kessel and smashed into who knows what!"

R2 started to leave as 3PO spoke to him. "Wait a minute,where are you going?" he asked.

In another one of the hallways, stormtroopers had captured several Rebel troopers and took them to the man in the dark suit for interrogation. In one of the rooms, the man with the dark suit was interrogating the captain of the _Tantive IV_. He had his hand around his neck, almost choking him, and was lifting him off the ground. Stormtroopers came to the man in the dark suit and gave him a report.

"The Death Star plans are _not_ in the main computer," one of the stormtroopers told the man.

"Where are those transmissions you intercepted?" the man asked the captain. "What have you done with those plans?" His voice was deep, and it sounded like a mechanical voice.

The captain could hardly speak. "We intercepted no transmissions," he told the man. His voice sounded as if he was being choked. "This is a consular ship. We're on a diplomatic mission."

"If this is a consular ship, where is the ambassador?" the man asked him. He then threw him against the wall and left him. "Commander, tear this ship apart, until you've found those plans and bring me the passengers. I want them alive!" he commanded.

The stormtroopers began their search. As they searched, they found Princess Leia trying to hide.

"There's one. Set for stun," one of the stormtroopers ordered. Leia then shot one of the stormtroopers and then one of them shot her with a stun circle. "She'll be alright. Inform Lord Vader we have a prisoner."

In another part of the ship, R2-D2 ran from 3PO and started to open a hatch.

"Hey! You're not permitted in there. Its restricted," 3PO told him. "You'll be deactivated for sure."

R2 beeped at him, calling him a name.

"Don't call me a mindless philosopher you overweight glob of grease!" 3PO retaliated. "Now come out before somebody sees you!"

R2 beeped back at him.

"Secret mission?" he asked. "What plans? What are you talking about? I'm not getting in there." Suddenly, a blast occurred near them and 3PO went into the the hatch with R2. "I'm going to regret this." And the hatch doors closed.

What the hatch door led to was an escape pod. The escape pod launched from the ship. In the star destroyer, an Imperial officer saw it and was getting ready to fire.

"There goes another one," one of the officers said.

"Hold your fire. There's no life forms," another officer said. "It must have short-circuited."

Back in the escape pod, 3PO was looking up at the star destroyer as they moved away from it.

"Thats funny, the damage doesn't look as bad from out here," 3PO told R2.

R2 beeped at him.

"Are you sure this thing is safe?" he asked. R2 beeped at him again in response. "Oh."

The escape pod was heading towards Tatooine.

Back in the Rebel ship, stormtroopers had Princess Leia captured and were taking her to the man in the dark suit.

"Darth Vader, only you could be so bold," she spoke to the man in the dark suit. "The Imperial Senate will not sit still for this. When they hear you've attacked-"

"Don't act so surprised, Your Highness," Darth Vader interrupted her. "You weren't on any mercy mission this time. Several transmissions were beamed to this ship by Rebel spies. I want to know what happened to the plans they sent you."

"I don't know what you are talking about," Princess Leia lied. "I'm a member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan."

"You are part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor. Take her away!" Vader bellowed in a commanding voice.

They moved in opposite directions and the Imperial officer that was with him began to speak to him.

"Holding her is dangerous," he said. "If a word of this gets out, it could generate sympathy for the Rebellion in the Senate."

"I have traced the Rebel spies to her," Vader replied. "Now she is my only link to finding their secret base."

"She'll die before she'll tell you anything," the officer told him.

"Leave that to me," Vader said. "Send a distress signal and then inform the Senate that all aboard were killed."

"Lord Vader," another Imperial officer said to him. "The battle station plans are not aboard the ship and no transmissions were made. An escape pod was jettisoned during the fighting, but no life forms were aboard."

"She must have hidden the plans in the escape pod," Vader told them. "Send a detachment down to retrieve them. See to it personally, Commander. There'll be no one to stop us this time."

"Yes, sir," the officer obeyed.

And the star destroyer began the search as they sent a squad of stormtroopers to Tatooine. Darth Vader went back to the stardestroyer to speak with the holographic figure again. The figure appeared as he entered.

"The plans have been delivered to Tatooine, my master," Darth Vader told him. "The princess gave the plans to an R2."

"How did they get down there," the figure asked curiously.

"The R2 unit and a protocol droid were jettisoned in an escape pod," Vader answered.

"Very good, Lord Vader," the figure said. "See to it that the farmboy receives the R2 unit."

"The jawas will take care of delivering the droid the Lars family," Vader said. "And Obi-Wan Kenobi will take care of the boy."

"Did you send stormtroopers down there to search for the droids?" he asked.

"Yes, my master," Vader replied. "And Solo will take care of taking them to the Death Star."


	4. Lost in the Desert

**Chapter 3: Lost in the Desert**

C-3PO and R2-D2 managed to land on Tatooine safely in the middle of the desert.

"How did we get into this mess?" 3PO wondered. "I really don't know how. We seem to be made to suffer. Its our lot in life."

R2 beeped back at him.

"I've got to rest before I fall apart," 3PO complained. "My joints are almost frozen."

R2 beeped back at him again. 3PO and R2 stopped and they looked around.

"What a desolate place this is," 3PO told R2.

R2 beeped back at him and started to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?" 3PO asked.

R2 beeped in response.

"Well I'm not going that way," 3PO replied. "Its much too rocky. This way is much easier. What makes you think there are settlements over there?"

R2 beeped at him in response as he turned his head.

"Don't get technical with me," 3PO said.

R2 beeped again.

"What mission? What are you talking about?" he asked curiously.

R2 made a funny beep at him.

"I've just about had enough of you," he told him, irritated. "Go that way. You'll be malfunctioning within a day you nearsighted scrap pile." 3PO then kicked him and R2 made a grunt beep. "Now don't let me catch following begging for help, because you won't get it."

3PO began to walk the other way. R2 stayed where he was for bit. He then turned his head and made a begging beeping noise at 3PO.

"No more adventures," 3PO responded. "I'm not going that way."

R2 gave up and started going the other way. Later 3PO had walked a great distance and started complaining about where he was.

"That malfunctioning little twerp," he said to himself. "This is all his fault. He tricked me into going this way, but he'll do no better." He then saw something up ahead. "Wait, whats that? A transport. I'm saved. Over here! Hey! Hey! Help! Please help!"

R2-D2 was in rocky mountains, he rolled as he beeped. Suddenly, he heard something. He then saw some small rocks falling. He made a worried beep. He continued cautiously along the path looking around as he went. And then all of a sudden, a small cloaked figure appeared and shot R2 with a blue blaster that disabled droids. R2 made a long whining noise and started malfunctioning. He had blue electricity all over him. He fell face first. More of the cloaked figures, known as Jawas, went to R2. They were speaking a strange alien language. There were about eight of these little creatures and they picked up R2. They started to take him forward and walked carefully. They took him to their transport, which was a sand crawler. When they arrived at the sand crawler, a big vacuum came down above R2. The Jawas deactivated R2 before he went. The vacuum then took him up into the sand crawler and the Jawas went up a ramp into the transport. R2 was in a room full of droids and R2 woke up. There were droids either beeping or speaking a different language.

"R2?" a voice asked. R2 looked and saw 3PO there, and beeped cheerfully. "R2-D2, it is you! It is you!" R2 responded with a reassuring beep as the sand crawler started moving.

The next day in another part of Tatooine, sand stormtroopers were searching for the plans, and found the escape pod. Some of them were riding weird creatures.

"Someone was in the pod," one of them said. "A track goes off in this direction."

"Look sir, droids," another sand trooper told him, holding up a small droid part.

In the star destroyer, Vader was speaking with the holographic figure again, giving him a report of the droids location.


	5. Droids for Sale

**Chapter 4: Droids for Sale**

The sand crawler was moving after hours and was almost at its destination. Inside the sand crawler, they stopped.

"We stopped." 3PO said to R2. "Wake up! Wake up!"

R2 woke up and made a beep. The Jawas opened the doors as they spoke alien language.

"We're doomed," 3PO moaned as he looked at the Jawas. They continued speaking in alien language and 3PO wondered what they were doing. He then asked, "Do you think they'll melt us down?" R2 beeped in response.

The Jawas were still talking to each other. One of them looked at 3PO and pointed something at him.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" 3PO said mercifully. "Will this never end?"

The Jawas started taking the droids outside in front of a homestead in the distance. Two men walked out of the homestead, one was fairly young, almost a boy, and the other was old enough to be his father. The Jawas spoke to the older man.

"Alright fine lets go," the older man told the Jawas.

"Luke! Luke!' a woman's voice called. The younger man ran to the woman's voice and responded. He looked down into the underground pit which had small little buildings in it and doorways. "Tell uncle if he gets a translator, be sure it speaks Bocce."

"Doesn't look like we have much of a choice," Luke told her. "But I'll remind him." He then walked back to his uncle, where the droids were. He was negotiating what he was going to buy.

"Yeah, we'll take that red one," Luke's uncle told the Jawas. The Jawas then offered him R2-D2 but he didn't take it. He walked up to C-3PO and spoke to him. "You, I suppose you're programmed for etiquette and protocol."

"Protocol?" 3PO responded. "Why, its my primary function sir. I am well-versed in all customs-"

"I have no need for a protocol droid," he interrupted.

"Of course you haven't sir," 3PO replied. "Not in an environment such as this. That is why I have been programmed-

"What I really need is a droid who understands the binary language of moisture vaporators," he told him.

"Vaporators?" 3PO asked. "Sir my first job was programming binary load lifters, very similar to your vaporators in most respects."

"Can you speak Bocce," he asked 3PO.

"Of course I can, sir," 3PO assured him. "Its like a second language to me-"

"Yeah, all right. Shut up," he interrupted again. "I'll take this one. Luke!" Luke came to his uncle responsively. "Take these two over to the garage, will you? I want them cleaned up before dinner."

"But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters," Luke complained.

"You can waste time with you friends when your chores are done," he said. "Now come on, get to it."

"All right come on," Luke said as R2 started to whine. "And the red one. Come on." The red one beeped in protest. "Well come on red, lets go."

R2 started to try to walk away on his two legs, whining. One of the Jawas disabled him so he couldn't get away. Suddenly, something launched out of the red droid's head.

"Uncle Owen!" Luke called.

"Yeah?" he responded.

"This R2 unit had a bad motivator, look!" he told him.

"Hey what are you trying to push on us?" he asked the Jawas.

"Excuse me, sir," 3PO told Luke. "but that R2 unit is in prime condition, a real bargain."

"Uncle Owen!" Luke called again.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"What about that one?" Luke asked.

"What about that blue one?" Uncle Owen asked the Jawas. "We'll take that one."

"You'll be very pleased with that one, sir," 3PO told Luke. "He really is in first-class condition. I've worked with him before. Here he comes." R2 came toward them with a cheerful beep.

"OK, lets go," Luke said.

"Now don't you forget this," 3PO told R2 as Luke walked away. "Why I should stick my neck out for you is quite beyond my capacity."

They went into the homestead for cleanup and maintenance.

Back in the stardestroyer, Darth Vader was speaking to the cloaked figure on the holographic display again.

"The droids have been delivered to the homestead," Vader reported.

"Good," the dark figure replied. "Is Obi-Wan with them?"

"No, he said that he will see to it that he finds Skywalker and the droids ," Vader said.

"How?" asked the figure.

"I don't know, he wouldn't tell me, so I trust that he will find a way," Vader said.

"See to it that he does," the figure told him. "and report back to me as soon as he finds them."

"Yes, my master," Vader said obediently.


	6. In the Garage

**Chapter 5: In the Garage.**

"Thank the maker," 3PO said happily as he was taking his oil bath. "This oil bath is going to feel so good. I've had such a bad case of dust contamination, I can barely move."

"It just isn't fair," Luke said after he was playing with his model sky hopper. "Biggs is right, I'm never gonna get out of here."

"Is there anything I might do to help?" 3PO asked.

"No," Luke replied. "Not unless you can alter time, speed up this harvest or teleport me off this rock."

"I don't think so, sir," 3PO responded. "I'm only a droid and not very knowledgeable about such things, not on this planet anyway. As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure which planet I'm on."

"Well, if there's a bright center to the universe, you're on the planet that it's farthest from," Luke said.

"I see, sir," 3PO said responsively.

"You can call me Luke," he said.

"I see sir Luke," he replied.

"Ha ha," Luke laughed. "Its just Luke."

"Oh," 3PO replied. "And I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations and this is my counterpart, R2-D2."

"Hello," Luke said as R2 beeped back at him and Luke tried to clean him up. "You got a lot of carbon scoring here, looks like you boys have seen a lot of action."

"With all we've been through sometimes I'm amazed we're in as good condition as we are," 3PO said. "what with the Rebellion and all."

"You know of the Rebellion against the Empire?" Luke got up and asked, surprised.

"Thats how we came to be in your service, if you take my meaning, sir," 3PO told him as R2 beeped.

"Have you been in many battles?" Luke asked curiously.

"Several I think," 3PO responded. "Actually there's not much to tell. I'm not much more than an interpreter and not very good at telling stories. Well at least not at making them interesting anyway."

"Well my little friend," Luke said to R2. "You got something jammed in here real good. Were you on a Star cruiser or-"

Suddenly, a hologram appeared from R2. Luke fell backward on his butt and looked at it surprisingly. It was a hologram of a woman and started saying, "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, your my only hope."

"Whats this?" Luke asked. R2 beeped.

"What is what? He asked you a question. What is that?" 3PO asked as the woman said, "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, your my only hope," again. R2 beeped.

"Oh, he says its nothing sir," 3PO interpreted. "merely a malfunction. Old data. Pay it no mind."

"Who is she?" Luke asked as he looked at her. "She's beautiful."

"I'm afraid I'm not quite sure, sir," 3PO replied. "I think she was a passenger on our last voyage. A person of some importance, I believe. Our captain was attacked-"

"Is there anymore to this recording?" Luke asked as he pointed to the hologram. R2 beeped again.

"Behave yourself, R2," 3PO demanded. "You're going to get us into trouble. Its all right, you can trust him. He's our new master."

R2 beeped at him in response.

"He says he's the property of Obi-Wan Kenobi a resident of these parts," 3PO told Luke. "and its a private message for him. Quite frankly, sir, I don't know what he's talking about. Our last master was Captain Antilles. But with all we've been through this little R2 unit has become a bit eccentric."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," Luke said. "I wonder if he means old Ben Kenobi."

"I beg your pardon, sir, but do you know what he's talking about?" 3PO asked.

"Well, I don't know anyone named Obi-Wan," Luke said. "but old Ben lives out beyond the Dune Sea. He's kind of a strange old hermit."

"Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, your my only hope." the hologram said again after repeating that for a while.

"Wonder who she is?" Luke asked. "Sounds like she's in trouble, I better play back the whole thing." R2 beeped at 3PO.

"He said the restraining bolt has short-circuited his recording system," 3PO interpreted. "He suggests that if you remove the bolt he might be able play back the entire recording."

"Oh yeah. Well," Luke agreed. "I guess you're to small to run away on me if I take this off, OK, there you go."

As Luke removed the bolt, the hologram disappeared. Luke looked at where it was and didn't see it.

"Wait a minute. Where'd she go?" Luke asked demandingly. "Bring her back. Play back the entire message." R2 beeped as if he didn't know what Luke was talking about.

"What message?" 3PO interpreted as he slapped R2 on the head. "The one you've just been playing! The one you're carrying inside your rusty innards."

"Luke! Luke!" the woman who called earlier called again.

"All right I'll be right there, Aunt Beru!" Luke shouted.

"I'm sorry, sir," 3PO said. "but he appears to have picked up a slight flutter."

"Here," Luke said as he gave 3PO a tool. "See what you can do with him. I'll be right back." Luke left the garage and 3PO turned to R2.

"Just you reconsider playing that message for him," 3PO told R2. R2 beeped at him and asked him a question.

"No I don't think he likes you at all," 3PO said as R2 beeped again. "No, I don't like you either."

Back at the stardestroyer, Vader was speaking to a cloaked figure, but he wasn't the same one as he had spoken to before.

"Don't you fail me on this one, Obi-Wan," Vader told him. "That boy is of great importance."

"I understand," Obi-Wan said. "I will see to it that we meet with the smuggler at Mos Eisley."

"Good," Vader said. "I will trust you to take care of the rest. I will see you at the Death Star."

"Yes, Lord Vader," Obi-Wan said as he disappeared from the hologram.


End file.
